The present invention relates to a display module, a support structure for the display module and a display apparatus, having a thin and lightweight display panel.
Display apparatuses rapidly becoming popular in recent years are display apparatuses or television apparatuses to display images with a display module having a liquid crystal display panel.
Such display apparatuses usually consist of: a display panel unit including a cabinet having a display module and a display screen installed therein as viewable from outside; and a mount by which the display panel unit is supported as swingable.
A display module having a liquid crystal display panel requires a backlight device having a light source with light-emitting diodes or a tube-type light source, such as, a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) and an external electrode fluorescent lamp (EEFL).
In such image display apparatuses, a liquid crystal display panel of a display module is supported by frame members attached to the periphery of a display screen on the front and rear sides of the panel so that the panel is interposed between the frame members. The frame members are usually made of a metallic or resin material called a bezel or a panel frame (a panel chassis). Such a panel supporting mechanism is disclosed in Japanese Un-examined Patent Publication No. 2008-96851 (referred to as Document 1, hereinafter).
Recently, there is a strong demand for a thin and lightweight display panel unit for display apparatuses with a large display screen. Such a thin and lightweight display panel unit requires a thin and lightweight display module having a high volume and mass ratio in a display apparatus.
For such a thin and lightweight display module, Japanese Un-examined Patent Publication No. 2006-235425 (referred to as Document 2, hereinafter) discloses a structure in which a liquid crystal display panel is directly interposed between a cabinet and a panel frame without a bezel.
Such a display panel support structure disclosed in Documents 1 and 2 requires buffer members between a liquid crystal display panel and a cabinet or bezels provided on the front and rear sides of the panel to support the panel, or between a liquid crystal display panel and a panel frame or a panel chassis provided behind the panel to support the panel.
These buffer members prevent a liquid crystal display panel from being shifted from the original position or damaged due to external shock or vibration, and also block alien substances such as dust from entering a backlight device provided behind the panel.
However, such a display panel support structure with no bezels provided (referred to as a bezel-less structure, hereinafter) disclosed in Document 2 could cause problems when applied for achieving a thin and lightweight display module.
Removal of a cabinet from a display apparatus having the bezel-less structure in the maintenance operations could damage a liquid crystal display panel because of the bezel-less structure in which the panel is not connected to a backlight device. Another problem is that alien substances could enter the backlight device provided behind the panel.
The display panel support structure disclosed in Document 1 could also cause problems of reduction in overall strength and stiffness of a display apparatus because of a lightweight bezel or panel frame for achieving a thin and lightweight display module.
Particularly, the bezel-less structure causes problems of reduction in overall strength and stiffness of a display module due to warpage caused by temperature change, which leads to internal deformation, in addition to external shock or vibration.